Christian Living / heaven

What Christianity Looks Like

Acts 26.20 records Paul’s message to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.image

One of the knocks on Christianity is how easy it is to be ‘successful’ in the religion, if success is defined as going to heaven. All of the other religions require great effort and sacrifice if the adherent is going to earn their eternal reward but Christianity promotes itself as a free gift only to be received in order to become an eternal member. (more…)

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January 26, 2016
Christian Living / faith / heaven / Judgement

God has Always Preferred Certain Worship

Genesis 4.4 describes Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock.
The LORD accepted Abel and his gift.

The first religious service recorded was of the first two brothers born on earth bringing their offerings to God. God rejected the offerings of the first brother but accepted the offerings of the second brother. This account is immensely instructive on the nature and ways of God considering it occurs on page 5 of His story without any indication that He had previously prescribed certain requirements for worship of Him.

The clear message from this story is that there is a right way to worship God and a wrong way. (more…)

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January 5, 2016
Christian Living / evangelism

Goals for 2016

2 Corinthians 13:5 commands test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you –unless indeed you fail the test?image

A new year, a new beginning, a new opportunity for being more and doing more than we have ever done before. What should be our focus as we begin the new year? We instinctively know the answer to this question: God, family and work but not necessarily in this order. Yet this is indeed the order that matters most spiritually, emotionally and eternally.

Before we take a step forward we must assess where we are by looking backward. (more…)

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January 4, 2016
Christian Living / evangelism

Living Like Jesus Lived

John 14.31 reminds us that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what My Father imagehas commanded Me.

When Jesus was wrapping up His earthly visitation He summarized His work as a world-wide example of love. Love for the Father and love for the people of the world past, present and future was to be how His work is defined.

What did this love look like? (more…)

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December 24, 2015
Christian Living / evangelism / Habakkuk

Not Confusing our Occupation with our Vocation

Habakkuk 2.13-14 asks, has not the Lord Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledgeimage of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

God repeatedly warns us in the Bible that we cannot love God and money because our devotion will always be to one or the other of these two ‘masters.’ Too many Christians dabble in loving both. (more…)

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December 7, 2015
Christian Living / evangelism / money / obedience

Why the World is in Chaos

Luke 8.14 explains the seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their imageway they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature.

Not too many Christians are happy with the current state of world affairs. Too much violence, too many corrupt people in high places, not enough economic growth and opportunities; unrest seems to be the norm.

What are the issues? The same ones that have plagued humanity from our beginning: selfishness, greed, power. (more…)

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November 24, 2015
Christian Living / obedience

Maintaining Integrity with God

image1 Chronicles 10:13-14 explains, Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Imagine being hand chosen by God to be the first king over His people. Pretty high honor. You would also think the vetting process would have been the best. Yet, like the first man created, Adam, this first king was a failure. (more…)

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November 18, 2015
Christian Living / evangelism

A Christian Definition of Courage

Proverbs 28.1 describes the righteous (being) as bold as a lion.image

When we think of courage we think of near death experiences where some type of threat is about to take our lives but we somehow fight, resist or escape to avoid the intended result. We also think of those who went into such an event knowing they probably would not return and many didn’t. Our soldiers live in this category as do Christians who remain in hostile countries.

Certainly these are accurate descriptions of courage but maybe there is a more mundane description that all of us can and should embrace if we are going to live courageously. (more…)

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November 12, 2015
Christian Living / heaven / Judgement / obedience / Theology

Believe, Receive and Cleave to Get to Heaven

Colossians 2:6 commands, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in imagesHim. What makes a person a Christian?

The debate has long raged because unlike all of the other religions, there are no ‘3 steps’ to making oneself a Christian. There are however 3 principles that if not evident in our lives should cause us much concern about our belief that we truly are Christians. (more…)

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October 14, 2015